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Football Coach Bill O'Brien speaks at one of last year's Coaches Caravan stops.

Image: GoPSUsports.com

Registration under way for Coaches Caravan

March 15, 2013

Registration under way for Coaches Caravan

Because of popular demand, the Reading location for this year's coaches caravan has sold out; 11 locations are still available. Sign up now at www.alumni.psu.edu/coachescaravan.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Building on Penn State's "One Team" inaugural year momentum, highlighting the highly successful first season under football Coach Bill O'Brien and looking ahead to 2013, the Penn State Coaches Caravan tour begins another road trip April 30 with visits to 12 locations during two weeks this spring.

Coaches Caravan registration is under way for the general public at www.GoPSUsports.com and www.alumni.psu.edu/coachescaravan. Penn State Alumni Association and Nittany Lion Club members began signing up for the tour events on March 12. Advance registration is required for all Coaches Caravan events.

At each stop, Penn State alumni and fans will have the opportunity to hear from Coach O'Brien and at least one other head coach and ask questions about the Nittany Lions' nationally recognized 31-sport athletic program at a lunch or evening event. Coach O'Brien is scheduled to participate in all 12 Coaches Caravan stops and will be joined by other Penn State head coaches on the tour, who also will meet with fans during the lunch or evening receptions prior to the program.

The line-up of head coaches joining O'Brien on the Penn State Coaches Caravan is currently being confirmed for each event.

Penn State campuses in Reading, Williamsport and DuBois will be among the locales hosting Coaches Caravan events.

The Penn State Coaches Caravan, jointly sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club, kicks off Tuesday, April 30, with a luncheon at the Penn State Berks campus and an evening reception in Philadelphia at the Hyatt at The Bellevue. On May 1, the Coaches Caravan will stop in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and on May 2, Caravan events will be held in Lancaster and Camp Hill. During the Caravan's first week, the luncheons will begin at 11:30 a.m and the evening receptions will start at 7 p.m.

The second week of the Coaches Caravan begins May 7 with a luncheon at Penn College of Technology in Williamsport and an evening reception at the Lehigh Valley Holiday Inn Conference Center. On May 8, the Caravan will visit New York City and Scranton, and on May 9, Caravan events will be held at Penn State DuBois and Pittsburgh. During the second week, the New York City lunch will begin at noon and the receptions in the Lehigh Valley and Pittsburgh will begin at 6 p.m.

For the second consecutive year, the Coaches Caravan will be a part of the Penn State Alumni Association's Greater Scranton Chapter annual scholarship dinner at Genetti Manor. The reception on May 8 begins at 6:30 p.m. and dinner is at 7:30 p.m. Last year's Scranton event drew a crowd of more than 900.

"We had a great turnout of Penn State alumni and fans during the Coaches Caravan last year and I enjoyed meeting so many people who have great pride and passion for Penn State," O'Brien stated. "It's important for me to get around Pennsylvania and other areas where we have a lot of alumni and give them a chance to get to know me and to hear from them. They need to hear about my philosophy and vision for the future and how we are moving forward. I knew Penn State was a special place when I came here and my experiences over the past year have only made that more apparent."

O'Brien was selected the 2012 Bear Bryant, Maxwell Football Club and ESPN National Coach of the Year and the Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Nittany Lions to wins in eight of their final 10 games. During each of the Coaches Caravan events, Coach O'Brien will talk about his core principles for the program, vision for moving Penn State Football to The Next Level and preparations for the 2013 season, as well as how all Penn State alumni and fans can make a difference for the program.

O'Brien and his fellow head coaches have championed Penn State's "One Team" philosophy this year, with the 31 varsity teams, athletics, campuses, communities and constituencies all playing a role in the Nittany Lions' academic and athletic success. Penn State has captured a school record seven Big Ten Championships thus far in 2012-13, while earning an NCAA Graduation Rate of 88 percent and a school record 100 Academic All-Big Ten honorees among the fall sport student-athletes.